Hammamas towel $45
Used by: Matthew Cattin
Used for: Three years

I’ve never much liked microfibre towels. The texture gives me the willies, and if you’ve ever used one at the beach or tied one to dry on your pack during a tramp, you’ll know the frustrations of picking off masses of leaves, twigs and seaweed. Yes, they absorb water, but they also absorb every-damn-thing else.

Hammamas towels are lightweight, quick-drying and absorbent.
I’m very partial to swimming on tramps, and this towel has been a game changer.

The Turkish cotton smells fine after days of multiple uses, and it doesn’t double as a giant strip of velcro for everything in the forest.

At 250g, it’s barely noticeable in your pack, and has only slightly more bulk than a folded t- shirt.

I’ve put mine through the paces in the humidity of Tonga and Samoa where I’m swimming every few hours, and it bounces back in no time, dry and odour-free.

It makes for a comfortable shawl or cape if you want to keep the sun off and the airflow on.

Verdict: A fast-drying, lightweight alternative to microfibre towels